Self-priming centrifugal liquid pump



Aug. 14, 1928. A 1,680.382

l. C. JENNINGS SELF PRIIING .CBMMFUGAL 1.1mm) m Filed March 25, 1925 5 sheets sheet l 01 v funeral 0r.

15" 6'. (Ken 10 172919,

Aug. 14 1928.

c. JENNINGS SELF rnz'ume cnnmnmmp mqum ruur Filed March 25, 1925 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 llllildbzwss m inf/6%).- I O i rviw I m I Aug. 14, 1928.

l. C. JENNINGS SELF PRIMING CENTRIFUGAL LIQUID PUMP Filed March 25; 1925 s Sheets-Sheet L-0ra G. Jn. 6} d W @WW "Patented Aug. 14, 1928.

UNITED STATES IRVING 0. JENNINGS, OF SOUTH NOBWALK, CONNEOTIOU '1.

SELF-PBIMING CENTBIFUGAL LIQUID PUMP.

Application filed March 25, 1925. Serial No. 18,275.

The object of this invention is to provide a self-priming or starting centrifugal liquid pump. A centrifugal liquid pump consists of a rotary. impeller, or rotor, having passages extending from the center out to the periphery thereof. The pump operates by the inertia or centrifugal throw of the liquid in these passages. A centrifugal pump will only work when it has liquid in its rotor. Therefore, a centrifugal pump will not start in operation if it has to lift the liquid to be pumped and will stop operation or become air bound, if it does not have a continuous supply of liquid.

The principal object of the invention is to make a centrifugal liquid pump self-priming so that it will always start in operation and keep in operation no matter how intermittent the supply of liquid may be to the same.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying three sheets of drawings forming part of this application for patent, in which Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view, taken on the line 1--1 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 2 is an end elevation;

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional elevation taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a partial sectional elevation on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3 on an enlarged scale;

Fig. 5 is a similar view on the line 5-5 of Fig.

Fig. 6 is a small sectional plan view on the line ("r6 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 7 is a cross sectional view on the line 7-7 of Fig. 1 on an enlarged scale;

Fig. 8 is a cross sectional elevation on the line 88 of Fig. 7;

- Fig. 9 is an elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 8;

Fig. 10 is a cross sectional elevation on the line 10-10 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 11 is a cross sectional elevation illus trating a detail hereinafter referred to.

The pump casing consists of a body A and a water-head B secured thereto by suitable screws or bolts 9. The body A has an inner shell a, and the head B has an inner shell 6, which shells a and b fit together when the head B is secured to the body A, so that the space between the same will form a casing for the centrifugal impeller of pump 0.

The body A is provided with a. water inlet connection 10 to which the water inlet pipe ma be secured. The inner shell a on the body A is provided with an opemng ll so that the incoming water passes into the space in the water-head B between the outside of the same and its inner shell 6.

The centrifugal pump casing formed by the space between the shells at and b is connected by a passage 12 in the body A to a water outlet 13, to which the outlet pipe from the pump can be connected. The impeller C is keyed and held on a shaft 11, which is fitted in a stufling-box 15 having suitable packing or hearing washers 16 held in place therein by a gland or bushing 17. The stufling-box 15 is provided with a flange 18, which is adjustably attached to the body A by screws or bolts 19.

A driving shaft 20, extending from an electric motor or other prime mover, is fitted into and keyed to the pump-shaft 14. The end of the driving shaft 20 is fitted in a bearing 21, which'may be a thrust aswell as a supporting bearing. The'holes through the flange 18 of the journal-box 15, are made larger than the attaching screws or bolts 19 so that the journal-box 15 can be centered exactly with the driving shaft 20.

The body A is usually provided with suitable supportin feet; but, as by the construction descri ed, the pump impellers are carried and centered by the driving shaft 20, there is no need of a bearing inside of the pump.

Rings or flanges 22 are fitted in the shells a and b, and the same are engaged by hearing pieces 23, held in proper contact with the flanges 22-22 by means of springs 21 arranged on studs 25 fitted in the pieces 23 and passing loosely through the rings or flan es 22.

T is construction provides a water seal at both sides of the impeller C and is shown.

The impeller or centrifugal pum C has curved water passages 0 through t e same which turn at right angles through the right hand hub so that the water can pass into the impeller from the space in the waterhead B. By this construction a smoothly running centrifugal pump is provided.

It also will be seen that the inlet water will press on both hubs of the impeller C, whereb the impeller will be balanced hydraulically.

I will now describe the apparatus that is used to make the water pump self-priming or self-starting.

A partition 26 is arranged between the outer side of the water-head B and its inner shell I), whereby a water storage chamber D is provided.

The water-head B is carried up as at 27 around the top of this partition 26, so that two passages 28 and 29 will be formed at the top of the structure. The passage 28 connects with the water chamber formed in the head B between the face thereof and the inner partition I), and also preferably connects to the water space or chamber between the body A and the inner shell a by a breathing passage 30, shown in Fig. 5. The chamber or passage 29 at the top of the water storage chamber D connects to a passage 31 formed in the top of the body A between the outside of the same and the shell a, as illustrated in Fig. 4. The passages 30 and 31 preferably are covered by a plate 300 secured to the top of the body A. An air escape ipe E is connected to the passage 31.

The liydro-turbine air pump which I employ for priming is arranged on the face of the water-head B. While any hydro-turbine air exhausting pump can be used, I

preferably employ one constructed along the lines of patent granted to me March 18, 1919, No. 1,297,692.

This pump consists of a port plate 310 attached to the water-head B by suitable bolts or screws. This port plate is divided by a partition 32 so as to have inlet and outlet chambers 33 and 34.

A hole or passage 35 is bored in the body B, so that the inlet chamber 33 of the pump is connected to the water space in the head B. This passage preferably is restricted by a plug 36 having a small hole through the same as shown in Fig. 5.

The outlet chamber 34 of the hydro-turbine pump is connected by a passage 37 to the water storage chamber D, as shown in Fig. 4.

The water chamber D is connected by a small passage 38 to the inner chamber 33 of the port plate, as shown in Fig. 6.

The port plate is provided with outlet ports 39- 39 and with inlet ports 40-4O in its side wall or face.

An elliptical shapedpump casing 41 is secured by screws or bolts 410 to the port plate 310, in which is arranged the rotor 42 ofthe hydro-turbine pump F.

This rotor 42 is keyed and secured on the end of the pump shaft 14. The pump shaft chambers, as illustrated in Fig. 10. Holes 46 are bored in the side of the rotor that bears on the port plate to coact with the outlet and inlet ports 39-39, 40-40.

This hydro-turbine pump uses the liquid contained in the same to effect its um ing action, the liquid being rotated in t 1e e liptical pump casing 41 by the rotor, the liquid leaving the displacement chambers by centrifugal action at the wider parts of the easing and being forced back into the rotor at the narrower parts of the casing in a manner described at greater length in my patent previously referred to.

The operation is as follows:

When the motor driving the pump is started in operation, if there is no water in the centrifugal pump, the centrifu al pump will not start in operation; but as the hydroturbine pump starts in operation, it will act to suck air out through the passage 35, which air will be expelled from the hydro-turbine pump out through the passage 37. into the water storage chamber D, from which the air will pass out through the passa es 29 and 31 and the air escape pipe E. y this operation, the air will be exhausted from the inside of the centrifugal pump and the water or liquid which is to be pumped will be lifted or drawn into the same so that the centrifugal pump will quickly start in operation and enter upon its duty.

The centrifugal pump will continue to operate and will not air bind even if there should be air entrained in the incoming water as'such air will be removed by the hydro-turbine air pump.

In operation, the water in the pump will just about reach the level of the restricting plug 36. As the restricting plug 36 contains only a small passage, but little water will be drawn over by the hydro-turbine air pump, and the hydro-turbine air pump will practically be out of operation when the centrifugal pump is working. The hydroturbine air pump can quickly exhaust the air from the centrifugal pump through the small opening 36 as air can pass much more rapidly than water through this small orifi e.

Any water delivered or thrown out by he hydro-turbine air pum will drop down into the chamber D, whic thus, will be kept full to act as a priming means for the hydroturbine pump when the same is started in operation.

The air and water delivered by the hydroturbine air pump will separate in this chambeinD, and enough water will be retained in the chamber D for the purpose stated and the air will be forced out through the air escape pipe E.

If any surplus water should be delivered out of the hydro-turbine pump, it will not interfere with the opera on, as the hydrollu turbine pump is designed to exert a powerful suction, but only to have a relatively light compression efi'ect, practically just enough to force the surplus water out into the chamber D.

If the water should rise in the chamber D up into the air escape pipe E, the same will drain back through the hydro-turbine air pump and the passages 37 and 36, when the pump is stopped, so that just exactly the right amount of water will be trapped in the chamber D to cause the pump to start in operation.

The parts are designed so that just enough water passes from the water storage chamber D into the inner chamber 33 of the port plate through passage 38 to keep the hydroturbine air pump in proper operation, and the priming water is allowed to pass from the inlet chamber 33 into the pump casing thru the inlet ports 40, so that there will be enough water in the hydro-turbine pump casing for the same always to start in operation.

It will be seen that the'pump will run a long time Without adjustment or wear. It also will be seen that the water pump can be easily gotten at by removing the water-head B from the body A by removing the screws 9. It will also be seen that the hydro-turbine air pump can be very easily gotten at by removing the casing 4T1. By removing the hydro-turbine pump and by plugging up the three passages 35, 37, and 140, the device can be used as a straight centrifugal pump.

Thus, the pumping apparatus herein described is capable of use either as a straight centrifugal or a priming centrifugal liquid pump.

The complete pump can be used to great advantage on ships which are driven by fuel oil engines such as the Diesel engines. Onships driven in this way but little steam is employed andthe various pumps used have to be driven by electric motors.

A centrifugal pump when empty has no lifting or pumping effect, and will not start in operation by itself, but by using the simple priming mechanism before described, electric motor driven centrifugal pumps can be advantageously employed on Diesel engine driven vessels and can always be relied upon to start in operation whenever called upon.

The details herein shown and described may be greatly varied by a skilled mechanic without departing from the scope of my invention as expressed in the claims.

While I have referred to the centrifugal pump as acting to pump water and have used the terms water and hydro in re ferring to various parts, it is to be understood, of course, that the pump can be connected to pump any kind of liquid and that such use of the pump is within the scope of my invention and claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I desire to claim and secure by Letters Patent, is:

l. A self priming centrifugal pump consisting of a body, a head secured thereto, a separator chamber formed therein, a rotary impeller, and a hydro-turbine air pump secured on the head and connected to draw from the space between the body andv the {)read and discharge to the separator cham- 2. A self priming centrifugal pump, consisting of a body, a head secured thereto, a separator and storage chamber formed therein, a rotary member, and a hydro-turbine air pump secured on the head and connected to exhaust air and water from the space between the body and thehead, to said chamber whereby to separate the exhausted air from the exhausted water.

3. A self-priming centrifugal pump consisting of a body, ahead secured thereto, a rotary impeller, a hydro-turbine air pump secured on the head and connected to exhaust from the space between the body and the head, and a liquid storage chamber carried or formed in said head and connected to supply the air pumpwithoperating liquid, such chamber also being connected to receive the discharge from said hydro-- turbine pump.

4:. A self-priming centrifugal pump consisting of a body, ahead secured thereto,*a rotary impeller, secured on the head and connected to exhaust from the space between the body and head, a liquid storage chamber formed or carried by said head into which the said air pump exhausts, an air escape pipe extendlng from said chamber and connections between said chamber and air pump whereby the chamber will supply the air pump with its operating liquid.

5. A self priming centrifugal pump consisting of a body, a head secured thereto, a separator chamber formed thereon, and a hydro-turbine air pump secured on the head and connected to exhaust from the space between the body and head through a restricted passage and discharge to the sepa-.

rator chamber.

6. A self priming centrifugal pump consisting of a body, a head secured thereto, a separator chamber formed thereon, a pump shaft carrying an impeller and extending loosely through the head, a seal for said shaft, and a hydro-turbine air pump sccured on the head and connected to exhaust from the space between the body and head and discharge to the separator chamber.

7. A self priming centrifugal pump consisting of a body, a. water head secured a hydro-turbine air pump thereto, a separator chamber formed thereon, a journal box adjustably attached to said body, a pump shaft journaled therein, an impeller mounted on said shaft, said shaft extending loosely through the head, a seal on said shaft, and a hydro-turbine air pump secured on the outside of the water head, the rotor thereof being mounted on said shaft and said pump being connected to exhaust from the space between the body and head and discharge to the separator chamber.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature.

IRVING C. JENNINGS. 

